In The Festive School, Father Nathan Carr draws on his experience as a teacher, headmaster, and priest as he offers a series of wise, joyful reflections on the importance of festivity in Christian education. He makes an important distinction between the kind of quick, sugary fun, entertainment, and novelty that today’s popular culture so values, and the kind of deep and enriching festivity that will be substantial enough to satisfy our students. True joy cannot be found in a moment of novel entertainment, but rather in a way of life that is organized around prayer, worship, love, and relationship.

Father Carr encourages teachers and administrators to use the beautiful festivities, rituals, and liturgies that the Church has already provided as the basis for creating a festive atmosphere in their schools and classrooms. At the end of each meditation, he shares ideas about practices—such as praying in the classroom, participating in a school-wide feast, and using rituals in daily lessons—that educators can share with their students to help them experience the Christian joy that comes from living out the life of the Church more fully.